Ritu Phogat back at Evolve MMA, resumes quest for atomweight world title

Ritu Phogat is fresh from a much-needed vacation at home in India. She is now back on the mats at Evolve MMA in Singapore, ready to kickstart a fantastic 2022.

‘The Indian Tigress’ was incredibly busy, albeit wildly successful last year, as she went 3-2 across five bouts. Her biggest achievement in 2021 was barreling through the opposition in the prestigious ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix to face Stamp Fairtex of Thailand in the final round.

Phogat ultimately succumbed to the former two-sport world champion via second-round submission. However, the loss hardly took away from anything the 27-year-old had achieved at that point in her career.

In a series of recent posts shared on Instagram, Ritu Phogat shared with fans that she is now back on the grind and ready to seize the moment in a stacked ONE Championship atomweight division.

In a joint post with Phogat, Evolve MMA shared:

“Saying hello to a new week! Back to the grind with The Indian Tigress.”

Phogat also posted a photo of herself with the coveted ONE Championship belt over her right shoulder and the Indian flag draped across her back, saying:

“Maybe not today…..”

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The options for Ritu Phogat on her journey toward the ONE women’s atomweight world title

Make no mistake about it, Ritu Phogat remains fixated on making history as the first women’s mixed martial arts world champion to come out of India.

Though that may seem like a tall order this year, Phogat’s rapid development in just two years as an MMA fighter suggests it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.

As she prepares for her highly anticipated return to the Circle, there are a handful of options for Phogat to face.

There’s a showdown with fellow grappling specialist, Japan’s Itsuki Hirata. Hirata was the dark horse to win the Grand Prix, but injuries have prevented her from living up to her potential. Then there’s a rematch with Vietnamese-American star Bi Nguyen to consider.

One fighter who recently called out Phogat is former ONE world title challenger, Tiffany ‘No Chill’ Teo. The Singaporean previously competed in the strawweight division, challenging reigning champion Xiong Jing Nan on two occasions but ultimately falling short.

Teo expressed her intent to move down a weight class, which opens up incredible opportunities for her at atomweight. A clash between Ritu Phogat and Tiffany Teo is a fantastic proposition and one fans in Singapore would truly enjoy.